Heat exchanger and accumulator



June-21, 1 938. s, C' F Y HEAT EXCHANGER 4ND ACCUMULATOR Filed April 6, 1936 hvehTov Offon S. M GufiQ.

Patented June 21, 1938 t t UNITED STATES. PATENT OFF HEAT EXCHANGER AND ACQUMULATOR Orton S. McGuffey, Lansing, Mich., assignor to Kohl-Hold Manufacturing Company, Lansing, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application April 6, 1936, Serial .No. 72,922 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-115) This invention relates to a heat exchanger and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation ofthe accumulator for refrigerating systems and more heat exchanger and accumulator, and particularly for such refrigerating systems which Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of the same on evaporate. a fluid refrigerant to absorb heat and the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

ICE

5 then compress said refrigerant so that it may be Like reference numbers refer to like parts in 5 again evaporated. all the figures.

In such refrigerating systems the refrigerant, The diagram Fig. 1 illustrates a conventional such as methyl chloride or dichloro-fiuoromethrefrigerating system, excepting that it includes ane, is combined with oil which is used for lubrithe heat exchanger and accumulator embodying cation and the refrigerant'and oil are mutually this invention. In this'system there is a com- 10 soluble and pass together through the system to pressor l in which the refrigerant is compressed a large extent. and forced into a condenser 2 and thence into a It is customary to operate the refrigerator liquid receiver 3. A high pressure conduit or intermittently and during the idle period there line l leads from the liquid receiver 3 into the 1 is a tendency for the evaporator of the system evaporator 5. A valve 6, such as a thermo- 15 to fill with refrigerant, combined with oil, in statically controlled expansion valve, controls the liquid condition. Upon resuming operation a passage of the high pressure liquid refrigerant considerable part of this refrigerant will pass int the evaporato h refrigerant turns from the evaporator in liquid form combined with from the evapo t r 5 through a w pressure oil into the base or crankcase of the compressor conduitor line I to the compressor i. I

where boiling occurs because of reduction of pres- The t ge a mu t Comprises a 20 sure and increased heat.' This boiling usually chamber 8 in which is located a heat exchanging results in foaming of the oil which foam passes coil 9 which is interposed in the high pressure into the compressor where it is compressed to a line the h h pre ure and warmed liquid solid volume of oil greater than the clearance in passing through the oil 9 oh it Way to h the compressor and it must be forced rapidly flp fl The chamber. 8 istightiy l d a d 26 through the discharge valves in a violent manner at comparatively high levels at its respective ends resulting in damage to the mechanism. the low pressure return line 1 communicates pro- Th object of th i v tg i t v r o viding inlet and outlet communications between 30 difliculties experienced by such performance the chamber a and the low pressure return line 1.

which it accomplishes by inserting in the return A relatively Small 011 f tube "1. p n t o h 30 conduit or line between the evaporator and the nds. is located within th am fp y in compressor an accumulating and evaporating inclined position, and has its lower end located chamber which is warmed byacoil of tube through heal the bottom the h m r n t upp r which the heated compressed liquid refrigerant en'd adjac nt the outlet fromthe chamber and passes and the returning refrigerant is deposited communicating th the return line I. This th t chamber where th unevapomted portube serves to pass oil in controlled quantities tions are evaporated, the evaporation being aided from the chamber into. the return. line. l i by heat from the coil therein. and the refrigerant elevated in and Passes through h t p l y 40 which passes from the chamber to the compressor y capillary attraction n par lly y su tion is entirely in gaseous form. caused by the rush of gas past its pper end in The oil which was combined with the re leaving the mber. frigerant is also precipitated and accumulated in There is a phenomenon Which m y e called a the chamber and is drawn n con-trolled qugn- "wetting film movement which occurs to aid the tities with the gaseous refrigerant to the commovement of the 011 along t tube. This wet- 45 pressor in manner and quantity proper for opering film movement resembles capiilarity and reatlon f the compressor suits in the movement of liquid on the surface .The invention provides various new features of a body and is ly ai y h V i y f of construction and arrangement which produce 8 m ving past the body. In this case 011 will new results as hereinafter more fully described v upwardly th inside and outside the tube 50 and particularly pointed out in the claims, referand pass from its upper end to the gas streamence being had to the accompanying drawing, in and it is conceived that a solid rod could be which I I substituted for the tube Iii depending entirely a Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of arefrig-. upon capillarity combined withthe wetting film crating system embodying this invention. movement on the surface of the rod aided by the a 2 gas movement past the rod to pass the oil from' the chamber.

Operation In operation allof the refrigerant and oil which passes through the system will be deposited in the chamber 8. Gassification of the refrigerant and precipitation of the oil occur in this chamber, these being. .aided by heat from the coil l, The chamber is preferably of sumcient depth below the outlet therefrom into the return line 1 that it will contain any quantity of unevaporated refrigerant below said outlet which will accumulate in the chamber. Therefore, only gaseous refrigerant will pass from the chamber through the outlet into'the return line I.

Lubricating oil which has precipitated in. the chamber will be passed therefrom in controlled quantities through the pipe II as heretofore described and will find its way through the return line I to the compressor in proper quantity for correct evaporation thereof.

By this invention the unevaporated liquid refrigerant combined with excessive amounts of lubricant is prevented from being returned to the compressor. It insures that only gaseous refrigerant combined with the proper amount of lubricant will enter the compressor and also serves to more evenly distribute the proper amounts of refrigerant and lubricant.

The invention also serves to cool the liquid in the coil 9 which is en route to the evaporator and permits the high pressure refrigerant to do the maximum amount of useful refrigeration in the evaporator.

The device is simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive and by actual use has proven to be of great advantage.

The device is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all structures coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. The combination with a refrigerating system including anevaporator, a compressor, and a conduit extending between them, of a chamber located remote from the space to be cooled interposed in said conduit and in communication therewith, the communication leading from the chamber to the compressor being through the outlet, said chamber having a portion of considerable capacity located belowsaid outlet, and an element having one end located at aaid'outlet in the path of the flow of gas therethrough and its other end located in the lower part of said chamber, said element acting to convey liquid from said'chamber to said outlet by action of capillary attraction and the movement of gas past its body.

2. The elements in combination defined in claim 1, in which said element is a tube open at both its ends and acts to convey liquid through it by suction.

3. The combination with a refrigerating system including an evaporator, a compressor'and a conduit extending between them to conduct fluid from the evaporator to the compressor, of a chamber interposed in said conduit, the communication leading fromthe chamber to the compressor being through the outlet, said chamber having a portion of considerable capacity located below said outlet. an element havinl one end located at said outlet in the path of the flow of gas therethrough and its other end located inthe lower part of said chamber, said element being inclined from the vertical upwardly in the direction of flow of gas and said element actinl to convey liquid from said chamber to said outlet by action of capillary attraction and movement of the gas past its body.

4. The elements in combination defined in claim 3, in which said element is a tube open at both ends and acts to convey liquid through it by suction.

ORTON 8. uccumy. 

